1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener for attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fastener for securely attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A plywood sheet is a sandwich of thin sheets of wood bonded together and a composite board is flakes bonded together. It is difficult to strongly attach other materials to an edge of the plywood or composite board with fasteners, such as screws and nails, since they easily pull out.
There is no adequate way to attach an edge of a particle board perpendicular to the side of another board, as in a shelf. The edge of the shelf attached to a vertical member with such fasteners as screws and nails will not support an acceptable load without pulling out and/or causing the edge to split away with very little load on the shelf. This is why particle board furniture has such a poor reputation for strength.
A typical prior art example of attaching a board 10 perpendicularly to an edge 12 of a composite board 14 can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.
The board 10 is provided with a countersunk-throughbore 16.
A flat head screw 18 is inserted freely into the countersunk-throughbore 16 and threadably engaged into the edge 12 of the composite board 14.
Numerous other innovations for joint fasteners have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,822 to Lehmann teaches a fitting for detachably interconnecting two walls of an item of furniture at an angle to one another. The fitting comprises a bearing body locatable in one wall, which body has two bores formed therein, a rotatable torsion bolt being located in one bore and a portion of a tightening bolt in the other bore. On its external surface the torsion bolt is grooved. The two bores communicate with one another. In use, the head of the tightening bolt engages with the groove in the torsion bolt, and the opposed end of the tightening bolt engages in the other wall whereby rotation of the torsion bolt locks the tightening bolt in position and causes said walls to be interconnected.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,282 to Koch teaches a connection fitting for detachably securing two vertically abutting bodies of furniture to be connected to each other in their respective regions of contact. One of the two furniture bodies has attached thereto a projecting fastener bolt having a fastening head. The other piece of furniture is provided with a generally cup-shaped enclosure or casing in a cavity to accommodate a rotatably mounted tensioning member. The head of the fastener bolt is in operative connection with the tensioning member and is adapted to be drawn into the casing when the tensioning member is rotated.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,493 to Welch teaches a dowel fastener for frictionally engaging the sides of recesses, bores or apertures in wood, metal, and/or plastic joint members to hold the joint members together. The dowel has a flexible resilient, compressible tubular body with a spiral slot extending along its length. At least one end of the dowel is tapered and preferably includes inwardly angled, segmented, end flanges terminating in a circular, free end edge of smaller diameter than said body. The flanges lead the dowel into a reduced width or diameter recess or aperture upon assembly into a joint. The opposite end may also be tapered for insertion in a similar recess or include an apertured, planar end preferably formed from bent end flanges for securing the dowel to a surface with a screw or other fastener. Preferably, the diameter of the free end edge of the tapered end or ends is sized to prevent compressive insertion in an aperture or recess which is too small and would otherwise cause deformation or failure of the dowel.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,278 to Koch teaches a connecting device for detachable connection of two perpendicularly positioned panels, such as furniture panels, by means of a grooved fastener bolt fastened in the first panel and a tightening bolt rotatably mounted in a blind bore of the second panel. The tightening bolt is mounted in a first blind bore in the second panel and the fastener bolt is adapted to be inserted into a second blind bore in the second panel perpendicular to the first bore. The tightening bolt is in operative engagement with the head of the fastener bolt in such a manner that as the tightening bolt is rotated the fastener bolt is pulled into the second blind bore firmly joining the two panels.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,506 to Rock et al. teaches a joining device for connecting two furniture parts that includes a dowel casing which is insertable into a bore in the side face of one furniture part and a screw that is screwed into the front face of the other furniture part. The screw is held in the dowel casing by a holding member which is a clamping element. The dowel casing is made of one piece and is open at its bottom. The holding member has an annular rim by which it is held by lateral projections of the dowel casing.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,321 to Kriz teaches a fitting for releasably connecting two plate-shaped furniture parts meeting at a right angle that includes a bolt anchorable in a dowel casing in a furniture part and having a head acted upon by an eccentric bushing which is mounted without an axle in the other furniture part. The bolt is anchored in the dowel casing by a disc which is held in the dowel casing for displacement in a plane transverse or vertical to the bolt. The dowel casing has at a side thereof facing the other furniture part an opening which is of greater size than the diameter of the bolt.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,686 to Hatch teaches a wooden dowel for insertion into aligned bores of two pieces of wood that are to be connected to each other. The dowel comprises a cylindrical piece of wood and a coasting of water soluble glue covering the external surfaces of the cylindrical piece of wood.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for joint fasteners have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securely attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securely attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securely attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securely attaching a board perpendicularly to an edge of a composite board that includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a dowel that fixedly engages in a blindbore in the edge of the composite board, a washer that removably abuts against the dowel and the edge of the composite board and limits travel of the dowel in the blindbore, glue that is disposed on the dowel and in the blindbore and fixedly engages the dowel in the blindbore, and an installation screw that extends through the washer and threadably into the dowel, and when tightened, holds the first portion together as a unit, while the unit is being installed in the blindbore, and once the unit is installed, the installation screw and the washer are removed, with the glue maintaining the first portion in the blindbore. The outer longitudinal surface of the dowel is etched with 50% HCl to give a thin black coating to improve pullout strength of the dowel, as opposed to at least one of knurls, truncated threads, and roughening which would decrease the pullout strength of the dowel. The second portion includes a fastener screw that replaces the removed installation screw and extends through a countersunk-throughbore in the board and into the dowel, and when tightened, securely attaches the board perpendicularly to the edge of the composite board.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.